La Salle named this immense region Louisiana in honor of the French king. 为了纪念法国的国王， 拉萨尔把这片广袤的地区命名为路易斯安那。

　　He soon led an expedition to plant a colony on the banks of the Mississippi. 拉萨尔迅速在密西西比河两岸开辟殖民地。

　　Sailing into the Gulf of Mexico, he missed the mouth of the Mississippi and landed on the coast of Texas. 他率队驶入墨西哥湾，他们错过了密西西比河的入海口， 并在得克萨斯海岸登陆。

　　Misfortune after misfortune now fell on the unhappy expedition. 这次令人不快的远征霉运连连，

　　La Salle was murdered, the stores were destroyed, the Spaniards and Indians came and killed or captured nearly all the colonists. 拉萨尔被谋杀，储藏的供给被毁掉， 西班牙人和印第安人过来并杀死或抓获了几乎所有的殖民者。

　　A few only gained the Mississippi and made their way to Canada. 只有少部分人回到密西西比河并设法去往加拿大。

　　In 1699, another French expedition appeared in the Gulf of Mexico. 1699年， 另一只探险队出现在墨西哥湾，

　　This time the mouth of the Mississippi was easily discovered. 他们毫不费力地发现了密西西比河入海口。

　　But the colonists settled on the shores of Mobile Bay. It was not until 1718 that New Orleans was founded. 这些殖民者居住到莫比尔海湾的岸边， 直到1718年新奥尔良才得以创建。

　　96. Struggle for the Ohio Valley. 96．俄亥俄流域的争斗

　　At the close of King George's War the French set to work to connect the settlements in Louisiana with those on the St. Lawrence. 乔治国王之战结束之际， 法国就着手建立路易斯安那聚居地与圣劳伦斯聚居地之间的联系。

　　In 1749 French explorers gained the Alleghany River from Lake Erie and went down the Ohio as far as the Miami. 1749年，法国人从伊利湖找到奥利哈尼河， 并沿着俄亥俄河下行到达迈阿密。

　　The next year (1750) King George gave a great tract of land on the Ohio River to an association of Virginians, who formed the Ohio Company. 第二年， 乔治国王将俄亥俄河沿岸的一大片土地送给弗吉尼亚的一伙人 ，这些人组建 了俄亥俄公司。

　　The struggle for the Ohio Valley had fairly begun. 俄亥俄流域的争斗已经完全开始。

　　Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia learned that the French were building forts on the Ohio, and sent them a letter protesting against them  doing so. 得知法国人正在俄亥俄修建要塞， 弗吉尼亚的总督丁伟戴发出一封信抗议他们这么做，

　　The bearer of this letter was George Washington, a young Virginia surveyor. 送信人是一位年轻的弗吉尼亚测量员乔治o华盛顿。

　　97. George Washington. 97．乔治o华盛顿

　　Of an old Virginia family, George Washington grew up with the idea that he must earn his own living. 乔治o华盛顿出生在一个传统的弗吉尼亚家庭中， 他逐渐形成一个想法--必须自己谋生。

　　His father was a well-to-do planter.  乔治o 华盛顿的父亲是一个小康殖民者，

　　But Augustine Washington was the eldest son, and, as was the custom then in Virginia, he inherited most of the property. 但是，奥古斯丁o 华盛顿才是长子，按照当时弗吉尼亚的习俗， 他继承了大部分财产。

　　Augustine Washington was very kind to his younger brother, and gave him a good practical education as a land surveyor. 奥古斯丁对他的兄弟非常的好， 供应他接受良好的实践教育--做一个土地测量员。

　　The younger man was a bold athlete and fond of studying military campaigns. 乔治o 华盛顿是一个大胆的运动员，喜欢研究军事战役，

　　He was full of courage, industrious, honest, and of great common sense. 他一身是胆 、勤奋诚实，并且善于与人相处。

　　Before he was twenty he had surveyed large tracts of wilderness, and had done his work well amidst great difficulties. 不到二十岁时，乔治o 华盛顿就测量了几块大片的荒野，他突破重重困难以优异成绩完成自己的工作。

　　When Dinwiddie wanted a messenger to take his letter to the French commander on the Ohio, George Washington's employer at once suggested him as the best person to send on the dangerous journey. 当丁伟戴需要一名信使将他的信送达俄亥俄的法国司令时， 乔治o华盛顿的雇主马上推荐他为完成这次危险之旅的最佳人选 。